1. Vasco Nunez Balboa
SS4H2 Describe European exploration in North America.
a. Describe the reasons for, obstacles to, and accomplishments of the Spanish, French, and English explorations of John Cabot, Vasco Nunez Balboa, Juan Ponce de Leon, Christopher Columbus, Henry Hudson, and Jacques Cartier. a

2. Early Years
Vasco Nunez de Balboa was born at Jerez de los Caballeros, Spain. In 1501, he explored the New World. He was inspired by Christopher Columbus. He believed that pearls could be found on the northern coast of Venezuela.

3. He wanted to trade European goods for a large amount of pearls and gold. On his first voyage, his ship began to leak.
He had to abandon his ship. All his goods were taken by the governor of the island, Hispaniola. He was left penniless!
Hispaniola

4. To the Isthmus of Panama
He tried to make a living as a farmer, but he was not very good at it. He decided to stow away on a supply ship to San Sabastian on the Isthmus of Panama in 1510.
A stow away is a person who hides aboard a ship in order to obtain FREE passage.
An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger masses of land.

5. He arranged a powerful alliance with the Spaniards and the Natives.
He ventured into a neighboring region called Coiba where he became friends with a local chief. He married the chief’s daughter.
He arranged a powerful alliance with the Spaniards and the Natives.
Comogre, another native chief, offered to lead him to the other side of the Isthmus as long as the Spanish helped defeat one of their enemies.
Island of Coiba

6. Balboa agreed. In 1513, he brought 190 Spanish soldiers and almost 1,000 Native Americans through the rain forest, fighting enemy tribes along the way!

7. He was the 1st European to look out on the shore of the Pacific Ocean!
He marched to shore and claimed this land for Spain.
He collected gold and pearls.
A statue of Balboa in Panama

8. What is a Conquistador?
Balboa was a conquistador. A conquistador is Spanish for “conquerors.”
Spaniards who hunted for treasures and explored in the New World were known as conquistadors.

9. Balboa created many enemies in Spain. They were jealous of his success
Balboa created many enemies in Spain. They were jealous of his success. They accused Balboa of treason. Treason means the betrayal of allegiance to one’s country. They turned the king of Spain against him.
He was arrested, convicted of treason, and beheaded in January of 1519.

10. What obstacles did he encounter?
He lost all his goods when his ship sank.
He was unjustly arrested for treason.

11. Here are pictures of Mrs. Kamp growing up in Panama
Here are pictures of Mrs. Kamp growing up in Panama! The pictures give you an idea how the land looked when Balboa first discovered the Pacific Ocean. The pictures also show how Panama looked in the 1970’s.

12. This is Panama Canal that was
created for ships to get to the
Pacific Ocean.
This is a shark net to protect
you when you swim in the ocean.